TNA Wrestling Outraged By Death Of Olympic Wrestling

By Damian Seeto

Image from sports-boards.net

Amateur wrestling has been a major attraction at the Olympic Games for many years. The sport was contested way back in Ancient Greece and has been a part of the Modern Olympic Games since 1896. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced wrestling has been dropped in 2020.

“This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics. In the view of the executive board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It’s not a case of what’s wrong with wrestling, it is what’s right with the (other) 25 core sports,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.

The Olympic committee is always improving on the Games by adding and dropping sports every four years. With wrestling dropped from the 2020 Games, it will have to compete again for inclusion. One of the sports that it will have to compete with is Rugby Seven.

As shocking as this was to the amateur wrestling community, the professional wrestling industry is also saddened by this news. Kurt Angle is especially disgusted as he won an Olympic Gold medal in amateur wrestling back in 1996.

As of right now, TNA wrestling is urging the wrestling community (both professional and amateur) to join the fight to #SaveOlympicWrestling. TNA is also urging WWE to help out as well.

Whether or not tweeting to the Olympic committee persuades them to reinstate Olympic wrestling remains to be seen. Still, this is a blow for both industries since professional wrestling companies like to scout for amateur wrestlers during Olympic events. Angle would not have been as popular as he is today had he not been at the 1996 Olympic Games.